Organic Food: Northern Ireland

(asked on 1st June 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to paragraph 33 of CP226 The UK's Approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol, whether changes will be made to the arrangements for certification of produce as organic which is moved from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.


Answered by
Victoria Prentis Portrait
Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
This question was answered on 9th June 2020

As the Government has set out in the recent Command Paper on the UK’s approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol, we have always been clear that it makes sense to protect supply chains and that there will need to be some checks to help movements of agri-food from Great Britain (GB) into Northern Ireland (NI), supported by relevant electronic processes. This may include GB organic food producers needing to provide certificates for inspection for their goods on entry into relevant NI ports, dependent on negotiations.

The process by which controls are conducted for GB-NI movements, and their frequency, will need to be discussed with the EU in the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee. This will be done within the context of limiting additional controls at NI ports as far as possible. We will actively seek to simplify and minimise electronic documentary requirements where possible.

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